Her Stage IV cancer had no symptoms. Innovative surgery saved her life.
Summary
Amy Piccoli was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer that had spread to her liver, despite having no symptoms. After chemotherapy and immunotherapy shrank her tumors, she became a candidate for a rare liver transplant, which was performed using a living donor, offering her a much better chance of survival.Key Facts
- Amy Piccoli, a 39-year-old mother from Los Angeles, was diagnosed with late-stage colon cancer after a routine scan during a hospital visit.
- She had no typical symptoms of colon cancer and no family history of the disease.
- Her cancer spread to her liver, making surgery difficult for the liver tumors.
- Chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy caused significant tumor shrinkage.
- Recent research from Europe shows liver transplants for certain patients with colon cancer liver metastases can increase five-year survival rates up to 80%.
- Only a few U.S. centers offer this liver transplant procedure, which requires strict criteria to select patients.
- Piccoli was evaluated at Northwestern Medicine and found eligible for a liver transplant using a living donor.
- A family friend donated a liver segment, and Piccoli underwent the transplant in December 2025.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.